


Closure and Chocolate

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-05
Updated: 2003-04-05
Packaged: 2019-05-15 15:05:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14792783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Donna tries to help Josh get closure.





	1. Closure and Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Closure and Chocolate**

**by:** Dee

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
 **Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
 **Category(s):** Romance  
 **Rating:** YTEEN  
 **Summary:** Donna tries to help Josh get Closure.  
 **Spoiler:** Thru today (march 17, 2003)  
 **Author's Note:** Sorry this is late in coming, but I've been working on my own  
eRead stuff on the website. For those of you interested I think  
everything through chapter 3 of Harry and Sally has been posted at  
stephaniedoyle.net

"Hey."

Donna walked into the office as Josh hung up the phone. "Did I ever mention that everyone in Congress is a boob?"

"Is that boob, as in female body part or boob, as in idiot?"

"Boob as in idiot."

"Everyone?"

"Most everyone," he assured her. "Danielson is voting no."

"You already knew he was voting no."

"But I was trying to change his mind."

"Only you didn't."

"No. And I'm not happy about it."

"And so once again all of Congress suffers your wrath."

Josh's eyes pinned hers. "Are you mocking me?"

"Do you ever notice how we ask that about each other a lot?"

"It's because we're mockers," he said. "What's up?"

"Amy wants lunch."

Josh snorted. "I'm pretty sure you don't have to get it for her. She's got her own assistant and besides I won you in the custody battle."

"You won me?"

"And don't think it was easy," he said as he began to shuffle through some of the papers in his in-box, the ones that he invariably always put back in his in-box.  He was never really sure why he bothered to take them out. "She wanted visitation rights, but I put my foot down."

"Are you done attempting to be cute?"

"Attempting?"

"Attempting and failing. It's really not like you Josh. You used to be rather witty. I don't think you're getting enough roughage in your diet."

"Then make sure you get me a salad for lunch," he said absently.

"As I was saying, about lunch, Amy wants to know if you can have lunch with her?"

He winced. "I don't want to have lunch with her."

"I think maybe it's a good idea," Donna suggested casually.

"You do?

"You're going to have to talk to her eventually. She works in the same building as you."

"Don't remind me."

"I think it makes sense. I mean did you ever have any closure with her?"

"Closure?"

Donna made a face. "Who am I kidding? You probably just stopped talking to her until she finally gave up and walked out. What did happen between you two anyway?"

"You know, the usual. I got her fired. I stopped talking to her. She gave up and walked out."

"You're pathetic," she accused.

"I know," he admitted as he sat down and wondered why that was.

"When I broke up with Jack, we had a long conversation, explained our differences and why it wasn't going to work. Then we said our peace, and ended things amicably. Now, I count him as another friend."

"You broke up with Jack?"

"I told you I broke up with him."

"No, you didn't," Josh countered. 

"Oh. Well, I did."

"Because he went to Italy?" Josh wanted to know.

"Because he wasn't the right person for me."

"Oh."

Awkward silence filled the room for a minute until finally Donna shook herself loose from the tension. "Anyway, you should go to lunch with Amy."

Josh winced again. "I don't need closure," he wined. 

"Well, maybe it's not about closure. Maybe she wants you back."

This had him lifting his eyebrows, his expression curious. "You think?"

"Well, if you never really ended things with her, maybe she thinks she still has a chance with you."

"Why would she want a chance with me?"

"I don't know," Donna snapped finding herself annoyed now with the conversation. "Why did she go out with you in the first place?"

"Mostly because I stalked her."

Donna sighed and shook her head. "You really are pathetic."

"Look, Donna, she doesn't want to get back together with me."

"How do you know?"

"I don't think she likes me very much."

"Well, don't you think you should meet and talk and at least try to be friends?"

"Yeah, here's the thing. I don't really like her all that much."

"Josh!"

"What!"

"You must have liked her, or else why would have gone out with her."

"Mostly because of the cooking... and the sex."

"Eww gross," Donna moaned.

For whatever reason, that bothered him. "Are you calling sex with me gross? Because it's really not."

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"Oh please, Jack wears a saber," he imitated in a high voice. "Like that wasn't an image that stuck in my head for days."

Donna crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "Are you going to have lunch with her or not?"

"Do I have to?"

"I think it's for the best."

"Are you coming?"

"No!"

Josh sighed. "Fine. I'll eat. But I won't like it."

"McGinnis's at 1:00. And make sure you order a salad," Donna pressed as she left his office.

Satisfied with the outcome of that meeting, Donna went back to her desk, picked up the phone and hit an extension that she now knew by heart. "Hey, Susie, it's Donna. Is Amy around? Thanks."

She waited a second then heard Amy's low tone in her ear. "Donna."

"Hi, Amy. Listen, what's your schedule like today."

"Chaotic. Same as every day. Why what's up?"

"Josh wants to do lunch."

"With me?"

"Yes."

"He remembers that he doesn't like me, right?"

"He thought it would be a good idea for you two to talk since you're going to be working together now."

"More like working against each other."

Donna rolled her eyes while Amy took the time to laugh at her own joke. 

"Sorry," she said when she finally recovered. "Uh, okay. Lunch."

"I'll let him know. And Amy, make sure he orders a salad, okay?"

"Why?"

"It's good for him."

"So?"

Donna shook her head. "He'll meet you at 1:00 at McGinnis's." 

She put down the phone and nodded. This was good. This made sense. They should really just work things out and find out if there was anything left between them once and for all. If they didn't want to take that first step, then it was up to her to push them along.

She really was a very good friend to Josh, Donna thought as she mentally patted herself on the back. 

He was very lucky to have her. 


	2. Closure and Chocolate 2

**Closure and Chocolate**

**by:** Dee

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
 **Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
 **Category(s):** Romance  
 **Rating:** YTEEN  
 **Summary:** Donna tries to help Josh get Closure.  
 **Spoiler:** Thru today (march 17, 2003)  
 **Author's Note:** Sorry this is late in coming, but I've been working on my own eRead stuff on the website. For those of you interested I think everything through chapter 3 of Harry and Sally has been posted at stephaniedoyle.net

"Jay!" 

"A," Josh replied lamely. He walked into the dimly lit bar and concentrated on hiding what Donna called his expression-of-doom look. 

Amy hopped off the stool of the bar and finished what appeared to be a Martini. There were two olives left in the glass. He thought she was about to offer him one, when she popped both of them into her mouth, one after the other. 

Figures, he thought. 

A waitress appeared at the hostesses stand. "I can seat you. Just two?" 

"Yeah," Josh muttered. He followed behind Amy and had to check the urge to put his hand on her back. It used to be a familiar thing, but he didn't want to her give her any unnecessary hope if Donna's suggestion was accurate and she actually, for whatever reason, did want him back. 

Along the way they each stopped to shake hands with a few lobbyists, aides, representatives and a senator. Ten minutes later and they were finally seated. 

"I'll have a Grey Goose Martini, dry as the Sarah with two olives." 

Josh considered pointing out that the first lady didn't normally like her Chiefs of Staff to be sloshed when formulating policy, but considering the nature of the conversation they were about to have, he figured what the heck. 

"Make it two." 

"So." 

"So," he replied and then waited for her to say whatever it was she wanted to say. 

When she said nothing, but instead continued to look at him expectantly, he figured she wanted him to go first. Their drinks arrived; he took a sip of his and decided to just spell it out for her. 

"You can't have me back."  
Amy had her drink halfway to her lips when she slowly, carefully, placed it back on the table. "I don't want to spill," she said, explaining her careful movements. 

Flipping her hair over her shoulder and crossing her legs, she sat back in her chair with an amused smile on her face. 

So amused, Josh concluded that she didn't really want him back. He was going to kill Donna. 

"You think I want you back?" 

"No." 

"Then why did you say it?" 

"Just in case," he muttered. 

"Isn't that sort of like walking up to a strange woman and saying I don't want to have sex with you, just in case she might find you attractive." 

"You're not strange... not really strange anyway." 

"You kill me," she laughed. 

"Sure would like to, but you know the law and everything. Look it wasn't totally out of the question. You took the job." 

"To be the Chief of Staff to the First Lady, a highly prominent and powerful position considering who she is. Not to mention the fact that I was out of work. But then you would know all about that wouldn't you." 

He took another sip of his drink. "I can't believe you're going to throw that in my face." 

"I can't believe you think I wouldn't. It makes you feel all guilty inside and you know how that turns me on." 

"Look, Amy..." he stopped and took a deep breath. "I'm going to kill, Donna," he repeated again, but this time aloud. 

"Donna? What's she got to do with this?" 

"She said this would be a good idea. She was wrong. I say we call a truce. I agree to hate you, you agree to hate me. And we work together in harmony pretty much like everyone else in this town." 

"I don't hate you, Josh." 

"Okay." 

"And you don't hate me." 

"Okay." 

She laughed again. "But you didn't love me. That was obvious right from the start." 

Josh grimaced. They were starting to tread on serious relationship ground and he was never comfortable there. 

"Do we have to talk about this?" he moaned. 

"I figured that's why you wanted to have lunch." 

"You mean why you wanted to have lunch." 

Amy considered that. "No, you asked me." 

"No," Josh corrected her. "You asked me. Donna said..." He stopped immediately. 

"That Donna," Amy mused. "She's a little vixen isn't she? What's this all about?" 

"I'm not too sure." 

"She told me to order you a salad. She worries about you." 

He took another sip of his drink and met the question in Amy's eyes. "She's my assistant." 

"You know you say that an awful lot," Amy pointed out. "Heard about Jack getting transferred to Guam." 

"Italy." 

"Whatever. What kind of strings did you have to pull to make that happen?" 

Josh shook his head. "I had nothing to do with it." 

"Really." 

"Really." 

Amy nodded and finished off her drink. She put it down and stood up. 

"You never loved me," she repeated. "Not like I thought you could. And it used to make me wonder. If you couldn't love me, someone your intellectual equal, if not superior, someone who looks like me, and lives like me, and believes in things like me, someone who, if you put it down on paper, is probably everything you ever thought you would end up with in your life... if it wasn't going to be me... then who? Tell Donna I said hi and thanks for the drink." 

Josh watched her leave and turned back to his own drink. She was right. He didn't love her and part of him didn't get it. She was everything he imagined he would have wanted in life. But he found himself being far more comfortable in the role of her ex-boyfriend, then her boyfriend. 

Maybe he was doomed. Maybe he should make an appointment with Stanly. To talk about things. 

But before he did any of that, he wanted the satisfaction of making Donna pay. What was planning to be a boring afternoon of reading memos had just decidedly got interesting? 

"Are you ready to order, sir?" The waiter asked as he approached Josh's table. 

"I'll have a Caesar salad. To go." 


	3. Closure and Chocolate 3

**Closure and Chocolate**

**by:** Dee

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
 **Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
 **Category(s):** Romance  
 **Rating:** YTEEN  
 **Summary:** Donna tries to help Josh get Closure.  
 **Spoiler:** Thru today (march 17, 2003)  
 **Author's Note:** Sorry this is late in coming, but I've been working on my own  
eRead stuff on the website. For those of you interested I think  
everything through chapter 3 of Harry and Sally has been posted at  
stephaniedoyle.net

* * *

"So how did it go?" Donna asked as she breezed into his office, her hands suspiciously behind her back.

"Really well," he said casually. "I'm glad you told me to go."

"Good." She beamed at him as she extracted her prize. "Then this is for you."

Josh saw the Hershey's chocolate bar and was confused. "You're giving me chocolate."

"It's for the after closure part. First closure then chocolate. It's sort of a ritual of mine."

"You never let me eat chocolate," he said as he took the plain brown bar. "You say it makes me hyper."

"It does make you hyper, and when the hyper wears off you get cranky, but this is a special occasion. Since I've known you, this is probably the first real closure with a woman you've ever had."

"What makes you think I got closure?" Josh said as he began to open the chocolate bar.

Donna snatched it out of his hands.

"Hey."

"What do you mean no closure?"

"Well, how do you know we didn't get back together? You were the one who said she wanted me back."

"I said she might want you back," Donna corrected as she played with the charm on her slim gold necklace. "So does she want you back?"

"I am a catch, Donna," he said in lieu of an answer. "Many many many women would..."

"Oh stuff it. Does she want you back?"

Josh came around his desk and leaned on it. "What do you think?"

Donna's brow crinkled. "What does it matter what I think?"

"You're part of all this."

"How do you figure?"

"Weren't you the one who set us up in the first place?"

"Uh duh, that was the first lady," she reminded him.

"I meant today. Very tricky by the way, making us each think the other wanted lunch. You're learning well young grasshopper. Naturally, you'll have to pay, but that will come at a moment of my choosing."

Donna's arms dropped. "It's not what it looks like."

This made Josh smile. "What do I think it looks like?"

"I'm sure you think it's me being nosy...."

"But it's not?"

"No. I'm concerned for ... the president's marriage."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "This I can't wait to hear."

Finding herself backed into a corner and not really understanding how she got there, Donna fidgeted slightly and then began to peel open the wrapper of the candy bar. "You and Amy need to work together on policy that both the president and first lady support. If you two can't compromise and instead are pitting your talents against each other, that's inevitably going to lead to strife between the first couple. Then fighting, possibly divorce. I mean are you thinking at all about their children!" Donna shouted as she bit into the chocolate.

"You're certifiable."

"It's been mentioned."

"And you're eating my closure chocolate."

Donna broke off half and gave it to him, but pulled it away at the last second. "Did you eat a salad?"

Josh pointed to the trash bin where half the salad now resided. "It was really big."

Donna acquiesced and turned over the candy, moving to sit next to him on the desk.

"She said I never loved her," he mentioned around a mouth full of chocolate.

Donna turned toward him. "I thought you did. You did the Tahiti thing. You've never done that before."

"I wanted to love her. It would have been easy."

"Amy and easy. I have to tell you, Josh, those two words don't really go together."

He smiled. "No they don't. I didn't mean she was easy. Because she wasn't. I just meant us would have been easy. It was easy, I guess, for a little while."

"Jack was easy," Donna agreed.

"He was?"

"Everything was perfect. He was smart, funny, but not funnier then me."

"And a backstabbing Republican traitor... I can see why you would be attracted to him."

She elbowed him in the ribs, but not all that hard. "That's not funny, Josh. I didn't know he was going to be a backstabbing Republican traitor. And he did vote for the president in the last election."

Josh smirked. "I guess."

"What really happened between you and Amy? It wasn't just the job was it?"

"I didn't feel like I could trust her. And it was weird because it wasn't like she was working for the "enemy" but still I was always on my guard. Always waiting for her next move, so I could counter it."

"That's no fun."

"In the beginning it was. But in the end..." Josh popped the last of the candy in his mouth and savored the taste of the chocolate. He'd forgotten how good it was. "I need to eat chocolate more."

"You're not allowed. It makes you hyper," she said as she finished off her own piece.

"Then you're not allowed, either."

She looked at him and laughed. When his face remained stern, she explained, "You don't want to get between a woman and her chocolate, Josh. It's not a safe place."

She went to get up when he grabbed her hand to stall her. "How come it never works out for us?"

When she didn't answer he added, "I mean us with other people."

"I don't know," she replied softly. "I guess we don't have a lot of luck when it comes to us... with other people."

"Guess not," he sighed. "You've got some.... Right there..." He got up and moved closer to her and flicked away the chocolate at the corner of her mouth. 

She returned the favor by running her thumb along his lower lip. "You did too."

They stood there, inches apart, for enough heart beats for them to count. 

"So this is closure," Josh mused.

"Yep," she nodded.

"It feels really good."

"It does, doesn't it?"

The phone rang and Donna sprang into action. "Josh Lyman. Oh sure. Yes. He's on his way." She hung up the phone. "Leo wants you. The foreign trade bill again."

"Okay." He picked up some folders off his desk. And when she saw he didn't have everything he needed, she handed him two more. 

"Listen I might need to work on this tonight. You going to be around?"

"I'll be here."

"I mean late, late."

"Midnight late, or morning late?"

"Morning late." 

"Okay."

Josh nodded. "I'll, you know, bring in dinner or something."

"You don't have to..."

"I want to."

"Okay," she said. 

"And so we'll both be here working late."

Not understanding what was happening Donna added. "Like we do most every night."

"But this will be different," he insisted.

"How?" she asked, even though in a way she knew. But she was afraid. 

"Because I've got closure. That makes me sort of mature now, doesn't it?"

She smiled. "I guess."

"I think it does. You'll see. I'm going to be a whole new man. A new mature man." 

He left the office with his folders and she thought given his new status as a mature adult, she really should have wiped off the other piece of chocolate that was still in the corner of his mouth. But it made him look like he was ten and it made her smile, so she left it there. Leo would be sure to point it out.

Josh Lyman, a mature man.... Naaahhhh. Or maybe. Just maybe.


End file.
